NEWS FEATURES • August 3, 2012 Edition • Acoustic Americana Music Guide

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What’s in this NEWS FEATURES edition:

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♪  1)  Bob Dylan / Mark Knopfler Tix Discounted through 10 pm Friday

♪  2)  3rd Annual “New L.A. Folk Fest” is Saturday, above Altadena

♪  3)  LOAFER’S GLORY: Two L.A.-Area CD Release Shows, Starting Sunday

♪  4)  Kucinich Mourns the Passing of Gore Vidal

♪  5)  Check Out Canadian NORINE BRAUN’s Indie Single, “99%”

♪  6)  A Tennessee Music Box, and Surprising Musical Folklore

♪  7)  West L.A. Music: Liquidation Sale Saturday; Acquired by Guitar Center

♪  8)  Award Winning Musician Dave Stamey: Bridging Urban / Rural Divide

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Here are these feature stories…

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♪  1)  BOB DYLAN / MARK KNOPFLER TIX DISCOUNTED THROUGH 10 PM FRIDAY

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The concert isn’t until Wednesday, October 24. But special advance tix sales end Friday, August 3, at 10 pm. Use the password TEMPEST to order BEFORE ticket prices go up and tix disappear in the mad scramble to everyone else!

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Bob Dylan & His Band perform with Mark Knopfler October 24 at 7:30 pm at Valley View Casino Center, 3500 Sports Arena Bl, San Diego 92110; 619-224-4171. Order tickets at  www.ticketmaster.com/event/2C0048F24B6B5B45?artistid=734972&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1&brand=nederlanderla&camefrom=cfc_ndrcon_ned_July31

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Tix go on sale to the general public starting Saturday morning, August 8, at 10 am.

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♪  2)  3rd Annual “New L.A. Folk Fest” is Saturday, above Altadena

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For twelve hours on Saturday, August 4, 1 pm-1 am, the 3rd Annual “New L.A. Folk Fest” returns to the storied expanses of Zorthian Ranch, at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains above Altadena. Most two-day festivals don’t book near as much as you can see here in one. Each year’s lineup gets bigger and includes more acts we want to see. It’s easily a Guide “SHOW-of-the-WEEK” pick, and we’ll be there.

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Things begin with all-acoustic performances, and get electrified later.

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There will be featured sets by Tom Brosseau, Triple Chicken Foot, Dustbowl Revival, Gwendolyn & her new-fangled country band, He’s My Brother She’s My Sister, Leslie Stevens, Beachwood Sparks, Cowboy & Indian, David Feuer, Domingo Siete, Dirt Bird, Fort King, Geronimo Getty, Emily Lacy, Restavrant, RT N’ the 44s, Spindrift, Oliwa & the Pleasure Circus, Stripminers, Tommy Santee Klaws, Sea of Bees, Yellow Red Sparks, Pisces, Kera and the Lesbians, Avolcano, Madame Headdress, Kitchen Hips, Tall Tales and the Silver Lining, Mrs. Hobbs and Ketchup Soup, Jenny Long, White Magic, Ocha La Rocha, and Guy Blakeslee. Wow!

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L.A. has long needed a midsummer folk festival to bridge the gap between established spring and fall events. This just might be the one, making its third appearance with lots of up-and-coming acts and rootsy-Americana bands. You’d find it difficult to track them down in multiples anywhere else.

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Come early for the acoustic sets. gwendolyn & her new-fangled country band play unplugged at 1:45 pm to kick-off one stage. Organizers say, “The first few hours feature acoustic, unplugged performances all over the ranch, then we'll plug in for the rest of the day.”

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They add, “There is a pool, and other water-related activities will be available. Carpooling is strongly encouraged as there is limited parking. We provide the fun atmosphere. Attendees are responsible for their own safety and well-being at the ranch.”

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Triple Chicken Foot, probably the top old-time trio in Los Angeles, tells us, “We'll be playing a square dance set at this fantastic festival filled with great music and fun times. Dances called by our old buddy from the Bay, Jordan Ruyle.”

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This is an all-ages event. That may come as a surprise to those who know something of the fabled and legendary past of this storied ranch. The pool, which will be open to festival-goers, was once home to a beloved tribe of water nymphs who, years before the Olympics had heard of synchronized swimming, performed a water ballet there – sans swimwear. The place has always been about peace and love, and attendees at the two previous years’ festivals attest that the deeply rooted vibe makes it the perfect home for this event.

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Info is at http://lafolkfest.com with plenty of details, what to bring, what not to bring, and more.

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Tickets are available by phone, toll-free, at 855-2-FLAVOR (855-235-2867), or online at http://fla.vor.us/1131394-The-3rd-New-LA-Folk-Fest-tickets/The-3rd-New-LA-Folk-Fest-Altadena-Zorthian-Ranch-August-04-2012.html.

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The 3rd Annual “New L.A. Folk Fest” happens Saturday at Zorthian Ranch, 3990 N Fair Oaks Av, Altadena 91001. Tix are $25 advance, $30 at the gate, $16 for children; $50 VIP ticket holders get access to a VIP area with open bar provided by O.N.E. Coconut Water, and more.

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♪  3)  LOAFER’S GLORY: TWO L.A.-Area CD Release Shows, Starting Sunday

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This Sunday, August 5 at 7 pm, there’s a last-minute booking of LOAFER’S GLORY, the all-star acoustic roots band of Herb pedersen, Tom sauber, Patrick sauber. & Bill Bryson. That means the group will play two local CD release shows. This one, on very short notice, is a Guide a “SHOW-of-the-WEEK” pick at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena 91001; reservations 626-798-6236 (10 am-10 pm); venue phone 626-398-7917; info www.coffeegallery.com. It’s “the venue named [by the Guide’s editor, as it were] in FolkWorks as L.A.’s best intimate acoustic listening room venue.” Tickets are $18.

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The band says, “Our new CD on Arhoolie Records is a pip. We hope to see you there and be in on the fun, where we publicly humiliate each other, and play some hot music for you!”

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The Guide received an advance copy of the mastered tracks that became this CD. It is one of the best albums of this or any year.

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LOAFER'S GLORY features genuine legends of pickin' & grinnin'. It’s a unique engagement of the finest of bluegrass-roots players. And live? It’s a show that you’ll talk about for years. All four are instrumentally fabulous. All four do lead and harmony backing vocals, and they trade-off to feature the right voice for each song.

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Herb Pedersen is marvelous on guitar and vocals. A member of the Desert Rose Band, he fronted his own band, the Laurel Canyon Ramblers, and he’s worked with a dazzling array of folks, from Emmylou Harris, Dan Fogelberg, Stephen Stills, Linda Ronstadt, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, Jackson Browne, and John Denver, to the Pine Valley Boys, Earl Scruggs, The Dillards, Smokey Grass Boys, Old and in the Way, David Grisman, Peter Rowan, Vassar Clements, Gram Parsons, Tony Rice, John Jorgenson, and Leland Sklar.

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Tom Sauber plays fiddle and banjo and does vocals. Tom has helped bring authentic traditional music to the film industry. In 1980, along with Ry Cooder and David Lindley, he played the music for the motion picture “The Long Riders.” He was in “Bound for Glory,” and “Geronimo,” and continues to appear in numerous TV movies and series.

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PATRICK SAUBER plays banjo and mandolin and does vocals. He’s toured Japan and works frequently with Grammy winner LAURIE LEWIS. Patrick is the son of old time player Tom Sauber. He’s mastered the old-time pre-bluegrass styles on banjo and mandolin, as well as the classic approach to good solid Scruggs-style 5-string banjo and mandolin, from Bill Monroe to more current styles. He sings all the needed parts in the harmony trio and quartet numbers.

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BILL BRYSON plays upright bass and does vocals. Where hasn’t this guy been? Bill has a long discography of bluegrass and country music. One of the most skilled upright bass players in the business, he's been with great groups that include The Bluegrass Cardinals, The Country Gazette, The Laurel Canyon Ramblers, The Desert Rose Band, and Bluegrass Etc. He's a wonderful lead singer, and is in demand as one of the best baritone singers today. He also plays guitar and minstrel 5-string banjo.

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All that, and the intimate atmosphere of the Coffee Gallery Backstage, where no seat is more than 20 feet from the stage – plus great lighting and sound, and this band? Oh, yeah.

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But that’s not all. Saturday, August 11 at 7 pm, in another “SHOW-of-the-WEEK” pick, LOAFER’S GLORY plays the second of their two local CD release shows, this one in the famous music hall at McCabe’s, 3101 Pico Bl (Pico at 31st), Santa Monica 90405; www.mccabes.com; 310-828-4403; tix, 310-828-4497.

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Catch ’em one place. Or both. They’re that good. Their new CD on Arhoolie Records will be available at both shows.

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♪  4)  Kucinich Mourns the Passing of Gore Vidal

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Gore Vidal died Wednesday at age 86. A renowned novelist and creative thinker focused on problem-solving, his death brought comments from people throughout the arts community. The New York Times called him “the elegant, acerbic all-around man of letters who presided with a certain relish over what he declared to be the end of American civilization.”

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One eulogy, from Washington, D.C., came from Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), who said:

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“America has lost a man of singular brilliance, a towering intellectual figure of immense heart and wit whose mere passing will revive the power and integrity of the adjective in the English language.

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“Gore Vidal was a dear friend as well. This is a deep personal loss, an unfathomable loss to the world of literature and politics, whose consolation shall be the counsel and affliction by Gore’s writing for generations to come. We shall miss him, but he will not be gone. He will just be away.”

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Kucinich described Gore Vidal as “a close personal friend” as well as a public and vocal supporter of Kucinich’s political career.

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Californians may remember Vidal’s run for office here, in a 1982 bid for the US Senate. That was really about influencing the agenda and provoking a dialog about a host of important issues that others were content to ignore. We could sure use someone in that role now.

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♪  5)  CHECK OUT CANADIAN NORINE BRAUN’S INDIE SINGLE, “99%”

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Norine Braun, a Canadian singer-songwriter indie recording artist based in Vancouver, B.C., has a pair of new singles of her song, “99%.” One is a video, recorded in a solo acoustic live performance. She tells us, “Rightouttv [has] already put.. this new video in rotation.”

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For those who wondered what happened to the Occupy Movement, Braun doesn’t sound any calls for group action. Instead, she exercises her blues chops to present a very microcosmic, very personal view of the plight of many who are struggling. You can watch and hear the video with its simple production, or go for the studio-produced audio-only version. But check it out.

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The studio / audio-only version has great harmonica, and it’s at http://norinebraun.bandcamp.com (or http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/99-single/id543808074.

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The all-acoustic video version is very simple. It runs just 2 minutes and 10 seconds. It’s on YouTube at http://youtu.be/J7aAWqc9ix4.

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Beyond that, Norine plays Saturday, August 4 on the Stampede Stage at the Hanna Alberta 100th Birthday Celebration, during her current tour of the Canadian plains. She tells us, “August is full of gigs, I feel blessed and happy to be traveling and sharing my music! Stoked and proud to play.”

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You can hear and learn more about her songwriting at www.norinebraun.com.

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♪  6)  A Tennessee Music Box, and Surprising Musical Folklore

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If you made it to this year’s Orange County Fair, you may have seen the woodworking exhibit. From there, we’ll let Bobbi Adler, President of the Southern California Dulcimer Heritage organization (www.scdh.org) pick up the tale.

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She writes, “Kudos to SCDH member Paul Babcock... He’s exhibiting the magnificent Tennessee Music Box he built... according to David Schnaufer of Blessed Memory, [the box] is the forerunner to the modern fretted dulcimer. The music boxes were constructed of any wood a person could find, with steel eyehooks for tuning pegs, gut wire for strings, and steel staples for frets.”

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Bobbi continues with the folklore, “Those of us who cherish our instruments will be stunned to learn that in the Fall, when the weather turned cold, the music boxes were thrown into the fireplace! New ones could always be made in the Spring.”

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She adds, “Bobbi’s personal opinion: I don’t think so!”

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Still, “Very few of these music boxes exist today. Paul’s beautifully crafted model features modern materials and, of course, reflects his expertise in woodcrafting and artistry as well. The gleaming wood tempted me to play it immediately. Of course that did not happen. How I wish I had been able to hear its sound.”

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Beyond the believe-it-or-not folklore aspect, there is a HUGE base of fans and players of the dulcimer in Southern California. Just use the Guide’s new search function and see how many times “dulcimer” appears in the current edition of Spotlight Events (August 2 edition). It’ll astonish you.

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♪  7)  West L.A. Music: Liquidation Sale Saturday; Acquired by Guitar Center

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It looked ominous. An email arrived announcing a big sale, for just a few days, on short notice. It included the words, “Liquidation Sale.”

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West L.A. Music is an L.A. icon, supplying famous musicians all over the world. They’ve sponsored concerts, workshops, and a variety of events in Southern California.

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Then came word that all is finis.

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But there is good news. Hugely good news, in this shaky economy. All the employees have new jobs with Guitar Center, who is buying West L.A. Music.

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Their last day in business is Saturday, August 4. Their statement reads, in part, “To thank you for you loyal patronage, we are offering our entire inventory at liquidation prices now through Saturday. Please stop in or call this week to take advantage of cost and below cost deals on guitars, amps, drums, keyboards, mics, music software, recording equipment, PA gear and accessories, plus hundreds of demos, used, discontinued and closeout items at huge savings. All store fixtures will be sold. We are truly honored to have served you for the past 46 years. Our staff will be joining Guitar Center, and will continue serving you with Guitar Center’s vast inventory and convenient locations. Sincerely, The entire West L.A. Music staff.”

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Their phone number still works for questions, and presumably, for farewell wishes. It’s 310-477-1945. They are located at 11345 Santa Monica Bl, L.A. 90025. And check their website (www.westlamusic.com), though the liquidation is happening so fast that the best deals are probably available first-come, in the store.

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We wish their kind and helpful staff the best with their new employer.

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♪  8)  Award Winning Musician Dave Stamey: BridgING Urban / Rural Divide

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He’s won every major award in Western music, most of them multiple times. His songwriting reaches people everywhere, regardless of their backgrounds, their politics, their avowed preferences, and their foibles. His songs touch the heart and the soul. In the latest edition of his Occasional Newsletter, Dave Stamey extolls on the view from The Endless Tour

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“Encampment, Wyoming. Only one paved street in the whole town, two bar-restaurants next door to each other across the river at Riverside, one little market. A cowboy gathering—but a special one. I’ve played a few of these, the kind of cowboy celebration located in a ranching community where every ranch family from fifty miles around comes to town to support it, to see friends and enjoy the show.

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“There’s a horse show at the fairgrounds on Saturday afternoon, and when the doors open at the auditorium for the show that night—usually in the gym at the High School—there are 8 and 9 year old girls and boys in their boots and spurs and flat-brimmed buckaroo hats strutting around, full of importance and self-confidence; and they shake your hand and look you in the eye and call you sir or ma’am. Always on the bill are local folks, cowhands and ranch wives who know the life, and write and sing from the heart. These are the communities where it really counts that they listen and respond to our music; and when they come up to us and ask for a particular song because it means something to them, I feel very honored, and justified, and very, very humble, and know that I am very lucky to do what I do for a living, and to be allowed to be a part of such communities.

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“These are not bitter and angry people clinging to religion and guns. These are the hard-working folks who make up the fabric of the nation, and they have been over-looked by the politicians and the media, because working hard and raising your family and trying to do the best you can by your neighbors isn’t what makes headlines. But I think maybe it should be. Just a little, every once in a while.”

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Are values really polarizing? May not, if you get in touch with the essence of what matters. Something to think about, wherever you are on this little blue planet.

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In September, the 3rd through the 7th, Dave hosts his annual “Back Country Pack Trip” in the High Sierra. We know you want to go. We sure do... escape the acrimony of an election year and gridlock on the freeways. Maybe someday. There’s info on it at www.mammothpack.com. There’s plenty on Dave Stamey and his award-winning music at www.davestamey.com.

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The GUIDE endeavors to bring you news and views of interest to artists, musicians and the creative community, together with schedules that reach waaay into the future!

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Thanks for making the journey with us. High notes, low notes, majors and minors and all the harmonics and syncopations in between…

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If you missed the NEWS FEATURES from July 27, they’re still available at

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http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2012/07/news-features-acoustic-americana-music_5805.html.

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Features 1, 6, and 7 have gotten a lot of comments. Here are all the topics from July 27:

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♪  1)  Music and The Olympics: What to Expect

♪  2)  “Long Beach Crawfish Festival” Brings Music, Dancing, N’Awlins Food

♪  3)  “Day of the Cowboy & Cowgirl” Festival at the Autry, Saturday

♪  4)  Saturday’s “NoHo Midsummer Festival” Supports Important Charity

♪  5)  “Newport Folk Festival” Live on Web Radio / Video Stream, All Weekend

♪  6)  Arctic Ice Melting Shockingly Fast, as Big Oil Prepares More Drilling

♪  7)  Review: 9 Bands at Last Weekend’s 19th Annual “Los Feliz Street Fair”

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If you missed the NEWS FEATURES from July 20, they’re still available at

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http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2012/07/news-features-acoustic-americana-music.html.

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Features 1, 2, and 3 have gotten a lot of comments, and features 7 and 8 – on the eve of the MARS LANDING – continue to bring comments from people who had not previously discovered the Guide. We welcome them and hope they (you) return. Here are all the topics from July 20:

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♪  1)  Berklee College of Music Offers Free Music Handbook E-Books

♪  2) 9th Annual “International Acoustic Music Awards” Accepting Entries

♪  3)  Summer Concert Trends Oppose Successful Festivals: Call to Action

♪  4) Guide Adds New Features

♪  5)  Musical Fourth of July Lit Up the Sky, and Free Concerts Coming

♪  6)  2012 “Cowboy Keeper” Award Recipients Announced

♪  7)  Momentous History that Changed Everything, Until We Forgot it

♪  8)  But, Do We Want to Find Life on Mars?

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VENUE DIRECTORY

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The Guide's extensive venue locator has address and contact info for OVER 500 acoustic-music-friendly venues in Southern California, from Santa Barbara County to south Orange County, plus a few key spots in San Diego, the deserts, and on the Central Coast. UPDATES are currently underway. Meanwhile, the 2011 edition of our VENUE DIRECTORY is still the most extensive resource anywhere, and it’s available at

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http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/02/venue-directory-from-guide-updated.html .

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the newest full editions – News Features and Spotlight Events – and more,

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are always at the full-feature site, www.acousticmusic.net

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Contents copyright © 2012,

Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks.

All rights reserved.

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